We’ll Attempt A Victory At Everton – But It’s Very Difficult

Everton beat Manchester United 1-0 at home in their first league game and then followed that with a 3-1 win at Villa Park, before they succumbed to West Brom 2-0 at The Hawthorns in their last league game.

David Moyes – good start to the season for Everton
Tha 2-0 defeat by West Brom ended Everton’s 11 game unbeaten streak in the league, and they will be anxious to get back to their winning ways when they entertain Newcastle on Monday night at Goodison Park, in a game that is being televised live around the world.

And certainly former Newcastle coach Steve Clark has made an excellent start to his management career with West Brom, getting them 7 points from their first three games.

Alan Pardew talked about Everton’s good form today:

“It’s obvious from the start of the season that Everton have picked up where they left off last year.” “They beat us comfortably at the back end of last year. It’s a tough game for us, and I think it’s going to be for everybody at Goodison, as Manchester United found out.”

“We have got a lot to do there.” “They have got considerable assets in terms of defending and attacking. They have got some nice options and it makes it very difficult to unravel that and get yourselves a victory. But that’s what we will attempt to do.”

“I have done it before (touch-line ban) so it’s not unusual for me. It’s not what I prefer but I can cope with it. I’ll just have a mobile phone, that’ll be simple. John is experienced enough on the sideline if we encounter any issues that we have immediately.”

“It will be interesting, maybe, to take a step back and see a different game. Who knows? I did it at Reading when I first started. I think it was a game – a couple of games.” “I don’t really like it.”

“I like to feel the game and I think you can feel the game when you’re seeing it from a lower level. When you’ve played the game you understand what the players feel.” “That will be taken away from me. Once you sit in the stands you’re slightly detached.”

If Alan doesn’t like being in the stands for the game then perhaps the next time he’s near a lineman on the sidelines, he will not push them, when he disagrees with the call. 😀

But not having Alan on the sidelines shouldn’t be too much of a negative for Newcastle, and it will give John Carver the chance to show what he can do.

When John was temporary manager of Newcastle for one game back in September of 2004, after Bobby Robson has been ruthlessly fired by Freddy Shepherd, he oversaw an easy 3-0 win against Blackburn Rovers at St. James’ Park, when new manager Graeme Souness was in the stands, and of course he left Blackburn for Newcastle.

In a short 18 months Graeme had Newcastle in a bad a shape as he had left Blackburn Rovers in – we should have realized that at the time – Freddy Shepherd should have realized that at the time – and before he appointed Graeme to the job.

But that’s water under the Tyne Bridge now, and we need to get something out of the game at Everton – that’s really the bottom line for this game.

Rvd makes an interesting point in the last thread that we are waiting for teams to struggle financially then raid their jewel when they are desperate to sell.

In what could become a footballing financial crisis having cash (something we are working on by boosting revenue and cutting costs) will put us in a strong position. Ffp will favour well run clubs like us.

Not sure we will win the league in 5 years but if we keep catching up the rate we currently are then I honestly see no reason why we are not challenging in 5 years time.

By playing youth now we will be laying the foundations but as I keep saying it will cost us results which I am not happy about.

Best plan would be to loan players to championship. Look at Ross Barkley, 17 or 18 and gone to Wednesday. We need to get the players out there playing 1st football like tav has done. He is only in the 1st team pool because he went out on loan and succeeded.

Jaw
i am looking to Cabaye to put in a star showing just as he did for France over the 2 internationals. He will be closer to full fitness and i read earlier that he has dedicated himself to the Toon despite all the transfer speculation.

Yeah, I don’t doubt at all that Cabaye will soon return to top form and have an excellent season. He is clearly instrumental to our fortunes and he may feel he has a point to prove at Goodison after his run in with Cahill last season.

I think uefa will try to look like they mean business by punishing good level teams like atheltico Madrid and Valencia etc.

I can’t ever see them excluding a barcelona, real Madrid, man utd, etc from champions league.

Sponsors won’t sign big deals if they think the main teams won’t be included. It wouldn’t make financial sense to sponsor a tournament the same amount of money if it had lower viewing figures as a result of top teams.

I have no doubt platini will push for it, he is a football man and wants to see what’s best for the game. However the money men at uefa will push as hard as they can against any decision what reduces the amount of money they receive.

The good thing is it will put us on level terms with clubs just outside the elite level like spurs, Liverpool, Valencia etc so we can compete in Europe and domestically with that standard but it will never punish the very elite level.

In honor of two dedicated Newcastle fans, who lost their lives supporting Newcastle United, when their passenger jet was shot down over Ukraine on Thursday July 17th, 2014 by rebels, as they were traveling to support the team in New Zealand.

We will never forget them.

Fantasy League

Thanks to reader Lewis Spiers, who has kindly set up the Fantasy League for our readers.

I had another battery of medical tests early last week, and the results show my PSA count as undetectable, which means the prostate cancer is still under control, and there is no trace of cancer in the body.

I'm very pleased about that.

Ed Harrison

=========================

What Is A Football Club?

“What is a club in any case?"

“Not the buildings or the directors or the people who are paid to represent it.

It’s not the television contracts, get-out clauses, marketing departments or executive boxes."

“It’s the noise, the passion, the feeling of belonging, the pride in your city."

“It’s a small boy clambering up stadium steps for the very first time, gripping his father’s hand, gawping at that hallowed stretch of turf beneath him and, without being able to do a thing about it, falling in love.”